Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho paid tribute to Fernando Torres after the Spain striker made one goal and scored a late winner to earn a 2-1 victory over Premier League title rivals Manchester City on Sunday.
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"He's sharp, he's powerful, he believes in his heart," Mourinho told reporters after his side climbed to second in the table, two points behind leaders Arsenal, the team they meet in the fourth round of the Capital One (League) Cup on Tuesday.
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Torres has been in sparkling form of late and also struck twice in the midweek 3-0 victory at Schalke 04 in the Champions League.
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A constant menace against City, he created the first goal when he tore past defender Gael Clichy on the right before crossing for Andre Schuerrle to execute a simple close range tap-in for his first Chelsea goal in the 33rd minute.
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Sergio Aguero equalised with a fierce effort just after halftime but Torres then grabbed his opening Premier League goal of the season in dramatic style when he pounced on a mix-up between defender Matija Nastasic and goalkeeper Joe Hart.
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Nastasic, facing his own goal, headed the ball beyond Hart and the Spaniard beat City centre back Martin Demichelis in a sprint before poking it into an empty net in the 90th minute.
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Mourinho praised Torres for keeping his head up despite missing an easy chance to score in the first half.
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The Spaniard, who has often struggled since joining Chelsea from Liverpool in January 2011, evoked memories of his halcyon days at Anfield when he spun sharply on the edge of the box and curled a fizzing shot against the City woodwork in the opening half.
Jose Mourinho has done well as per coaching since he got the Chelsea job. The team has really improved!